


trust & talents

by Accidie



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Dutch being a good parent, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Panic Attacks, Pre-Canon, Short One Shot, Young Arthur Morgan, just in case, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25942588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Accidie/pseuds/Accidie
Summary: In which Arthur struggles with his past and Hosea comes to the realization that he has underestimated Dutch and the man's abilities as a father.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan & Dutch van der Linde, Hosea Matthews & Arthur Morgan, Hosea Matthews & Arthur Morgan & Dutch van der Linde
Comments: 2
Kudos: 91





	trust & talents

Hosea wakes up in the middle of the night to the sounds of Arthur, once again, having one of his fits. A common occurrence these days, and with a sigh he sits up in the bedroll, trying to prepare himself to face the boy and try to calm him down. 

It’s hard to keep track of what exactly they do to set off the boy. His tantrums were rare the first weeks he spent with them, but soon became more and more frequent. 

Now, almost four months after first picking the boy up, it barely goes a day without him getting upset over something. Sometimes over being told what to do, sometimes over something as simple as a mere glance in his direction the days he was extra jittery. 

And it seemed like the kinder they tried to be towards him, the angrier he got, the more he lashed out. 

He always feared those fits, just because they were so hard to reel Arthur in from. Sometimes Arthur would try to hit him, but most often he would hit himself, scratch at his own arms or bash himself in the head. It hurt him, seeing the boy like that and not knowing what to do about it, often just having to wait until he calmed down by himself and making sure he didn’t hurt himself too much in the process. 

His patience was wearing thin, and Hosea could see that it had started to bother Dutch too. 

Dutch... 

He wasn’t in his bedroll. 

Christ. 

Hosea gets up quickly, hoping that the other man just had taken a midnight dump in the woods. Really not hoping that he had done something to set off the boy, that he was the reason his sleep got ruined. 

He’s surprised at what he sees when he finally gets out of the tent. 

Dutch, actually making an effort to calm the kid down. Even managing to do so, by the looks of it, Arthur not even violent this time, just on his knees on the ground shaking, breathing so quick it was a wonder he hadn't passed out yet, eyes big like saucers, while Dutch cradles his face, whispering encouraging words.

“Focus on me, son, can you do that?” Dutch says, acting like he’s done this many times before. “Breathe together with me, will you? In and out, slow, just like I do. You remember how to do that?” 

Taking one of the boy's hands in his own, Dutch leads in towards his own face. "See? You're here with me, son," he murmurs, "Do you remember where we are?"  
When Arthur doesn't respond, Dutch answers for him. "We're in Cholla Springs, just next to the lake. Do you know the name of the lake?"

"Don Julio," Arthur whispers. 

"That's right," Dutch says. "Can you think of an animal we saw there?"

"D-ducks."

"That's right."

Slowly, Arthur seems to calm down, his chest still heaving, but he no longer sounds like he’s choking on his own spit, and the wild look from his eyes is starting to disappear. Instead, embarrassment takes its place. 

“There you go,” Dutch says, giving him an encouraging smile, “You’re alright, son.” 

Hosea didn’t know Dutch was capable of being so soft. But perhaps there hadn’t been a need to be it before. Or perhaps Dutch always had been it, and Hosea just had underestimated his friend. He didn’t even know Dutch used to help Arthur with these attacks, he had assumed he was the one doing it. 

Doing it badly, it seemed, because he had never been able to get Arthur to calm down so quickly. 

After a while, the boy stops shaking. 

“Now, what was it this time?” Dutch asks. 

“Sounds,” the boy chokes out after a while. He inhales and then continues. “I, uh, I heard a sound.” 

“And that upset you?” 

“...Yeah.” 

“Is there any reason why that made you upset?” 

He doesn’t answer. Never had before, so it doesn’t surprise Hosea that he’s silent this time too. 

“You know, son, I hope you can trust us with your troubles one day,” Dutch says, a hand resting on Arthur’s back, who still was looking down into the ground, stiff and almost statuesque with the look on his face, as in deep thought, caught up still in whatever memory that caused the fit to begin with. 

Hosea had his fair share of demons. Dutch had his too. It came with the profession, the life. Or perhaps all the ghosts were the reason the life was chosen for so many. 

It seemed unfair, though, that someone so young was so haunted. 

“You trust us, right Arthur?” Dutch tries, and this goads Arthur out of his silent state. 

“’course,” he croaks. “Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” 

“Good,” Dutch says, his hand now gently stroking Arthur’s hair. “And we trust you, ain’t that right, Hosea?” 

He hadn’t realized that Dutch had spotted him. Arthur must not have seen him before that, because he jumps at the mention of him, and quickly looks in his direction before just as quickly turning his gaze away, looking down into the ground. 

“Of course,” Hosea says. 

“See, Hosea here knows the value of trust better than anyone,” Dutch says with a gesture towards him. “Now son, I ain’t saying you have to tell us whatever happened to you. But it’s easier for all of us, for _you_ , if you open up. It doesn’t have to be today.” 

Whatever answer Dutch was looking for, he sure wasn’t getting it tonight. The boy’s silence stretches on for what feels like forever. 

“...Sorry for waking you up,” he finally says. 

“It’s alright, Arthur,” Hosea says. He could as well try to comfort the boy too, now when he had been made aware of his presence. “There is nothing you need to apologize for.” 

“Why don’t you try to get some sleep now, Arthur?” Dutch says, still petting Arthur’s hair. “And if there is anything else you need, just holler, son.” 

“Sure,” he says, slowly getting up on shaky feet, getting some help from Dutch in keeping his balance. He casts a quick glance in Hosea’s direction before scurrying off towards his own tent. 

He makes sure that the boy is well inside of the tent before turning his attention towards Dutch. 

“I didn’t know you could do that.” 

“I am a man of many talents, my dear Hosea,” Dutch says with a laugh. “You should know that by now.” 

“Perhaps I should.” 

If Hosea had had any doubts about Dutch’s capabilities when it came to raising Arthur, they were gone now. 

It saddens him, though, that Dutch’s skills in calming Arthur down just raised doubts about his own abilities in fathering the boy. 

He'd just have to try harder from here on now, for all of their sake. 

**Author's Note:**

> working myself through the alphabet, one fic at a time
> 
> I saw that interaction when Dutch tries to talk with Swanson when he's drunk and idk I just felt like Dutch perhaps once was good with comforting people. 
> 
> anyways I hope you liked this! just a quick drabble i wrote when I needed to vent. 
> 
> as usual, please leave a comment if you enjoyed this! and if you want to talk with me, you can reach me at comrade-enjolras.tumblr.com


End file.
